Super easy, elegant dessert. Do this at least a few hours ahead of time so that the panna cotta has time to set and to take away last-minute stress. Only thing that has to be done near the time of serving is the caramel sauce because you want the contrast of the warm sauce against the cold panna cotta.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 20 min |
| Prep: | 10 min |
| Inactive: | 2 hr |
| Cook: | 10 min |
| Yield: | 10 to 12 servings |
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 20 min |
| Prep: | 10 min |
| Inactive: | 2 hr |
| Cook: | 10 min |
| Yield: | 10 to 12 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3 cups half-and-half
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup hot water
- 2 (1/4-ounce) packets unflavored powdered gelatin
- Orange Caramel Sauce, recipe follows
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1 small navel orange zested and juiced
- 1 whole star anise
Instructions
- Combine sugar and 1 cup of half-and-half in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking until combined. Add remaining half-and-half, heavy cream, and vanilla and cook for 3 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together hot water and gelatin, whisking until gelatin dissolves. Whisk gelatin mixture into half-and-half mixture until thoroughly combined.
- Remove from the heat and pour into ramekins or cupcake tins and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight until set.
- Remove panna cotta from refrigerator. Dip the bottoms of the ramekins or cupcake tin into a warm water bath for about 15 seconds. Turn out the panna cotta forms onto serving plates. Top with Orange Caramel Sauce and let run down sides. Serve while sauce is still warm.
- Melt the butter and brown sugar together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the orange juice and star anise and simmer until smooth and thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in the orange zest and remove from heat.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 12 servings |
| Calories | 246 |
| Total Fat | 18 g |
| Saturated Fat | 11 g |
| Carbohydrates | 18 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 18 g |
| Protein | 3 g |
| Cholesterol | 60 mg |
| Sodium | 37 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 12 servings |
| Calories | 246 |
| Total Fat | 18 g |
| Saturated Fat | 11 g |
| Carbohydrates | 18 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 18 g |
| Protein | 3 g |
| Cholesterol | 60 mg |
| Sodium | 37 mg |
Reviews
So i made this twice, first attempt i ran out of time for the sauce- big mistake, the panna cotta tasted like bland gelatinized vanilla ice cream, second time i made the sauce and what a difference! the sauce was sweet and complimented the plain panna cotta perfectly. will definitely make this recipe again as it made me look like a gourmet chef on a first home-made dinner date!
I never had anything with anise,that doesn’t taste like anise (strong)
Thank You
Thank You
This the most inexpensive dessert I have ever made and it looks like it belongs in one of those fancy french restaurants. I used some fluted ramekins from my tiara collection to serve this and it looked and tasted great… The only thing I did different was to add a dollop of whipped cream and a small hollowed out strawberry, stuffed with a 1/4 of a sugar cube soaked in rum. Before serving, I lit it and it was a spectacular site. Thanks Dave..
I saw the episode where Dave made this, so I knew when to add the gelatin. The caramel/orange sauce is unbelievable – it blows away creme brulee, IMHO. However, this only worked for me the first time I made it – the next 2 times, the sauce separated (it should hold together & be syrupy), & I’m usually pretty good w/ fussy dishes. I’m not sure if I’m cooking to too long, or adding things too soon or too late & messing up the temps in the pan. If it were fool-proof, I’d give it a “5”.
My roommate and I thought this would be pretty impressive, as easy as it is. We were right. I served it to lunch date and he served it to a dinner date later that night. I can’t wait to try it again but actually make the sauce. I can’t imagine what that will be like.
Other than the recipe fails to instruct when to add the dissolved gelatin the heated dairy mixture it was pretty straight forward. The nice thing about this recipe that it was easy to modify to suit my tastes.
I increased the cream to two cups and reduced the half and half to two cups. I found that it gave the custard a richer texture and better mouth feel.
I also prepare a variety of sauces to suit my guests taste. Sweetened berries with a strained puree has turned out to be a popular variation.
This can be made in about 15 min. It is a very impressive dessert, especially when served on fancy dessert dishes and with small dessert cookies. Wonderful at dinner parties after a heavy meal. So glad I was watching the day Dave made this!
Helen
Baton Rouge, LA
As the review title indicates, the gelatin dissolved in the first step disappears from the instructions after it is mixed with the Half & Half mixture prior to pouring in the ramekins.